Guide to Building a Configuration Lab

What the talk is about

Alona Karasova describes how her company, active in game development for over 16 years, built its own configuration lab for testing applications, mostly games. The lab was set up in 2016 and covers PC, mobile, console and VR. Key requirements were security (no remote device services), 24/7 availability and fully repeatable environments, so testing runs on dedicated stands rather than staff workstations. Each stand keeps its CPU and OS fixed while graphics cards and memory are swapped; operating systems are deployed from images, and older hardware was sourced across the region. She also covers the compatibility matrix, purchasing based on market statistics, budget, team structure and backup internet channels. Emulators are avoided because their measurements proved unreliable. Useful for QA leads and studios planning their own test lab.